Earth anchor



May 28, 1929- A. B. CHANCE EARTH ANCHOR Filed May 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 22 Ink/14337 May 28, 1929. A: HAN E 1,714,766

EARTH ANCHOR Filed May 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet H L w Hi far-- 7//// III; 'IIIIIIIIA M y 1929- A. B. CHANCE EARTH ANCHOR Filed May 26, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 28, 1929.

UNITED STATES" ALBERT B. CHANCE, OF CENTRALIA, MISSOURI.

EARTH ANCHOR.

Application filed May 26,

The present invention relates to earth anchors, and is particularly concerned with expansible anchors of the type shown in United'States Patent No. 1,546,327, issued July 14, 1925, to Herbert M. Taylor and Frank Sutclifie, and by them assigned to me,

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of an improved commercial form of the anchor shown in said prior patent, which is more economically manufactured and assembled, and which includes improved forms of the elementswhich comprise the finished anchor.

Another object of the anchor is the provision of a novel supporting structure for four-way expanding anchors of the class described, whereby the anchor may be readily assembled without the use of rivets, and whereby the flukes of the anchor will be slidably enclosed in a housing provided with means for positioning the anchor on a guy rod, and means for releasing the guy rod when the anchor is to be abandoned.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will be apparent from the following description, and from the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views. I

Referring to the drawings, are three sheets;

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of my anchor;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same, partially broken away to show the securing nut;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the anchor in expanded position;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fi 5 is a'yiew in perspective of the housing fbr my expanding anchor;

Fig. 6 is a similar view of the crosshead;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the link securing member to be used with the crosshead;

Fig. 8 is a similar view of a modified form of crosshead.

. Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, 10 indicates in its entirety my expanding anchor which comprises a housing 11, a plurality of fiukes 12, 13, 14 and 15 slidably mounted in said housin a crosshead 16 and a plurality of links 1 connecting said flukes and crosshead.

of which there improved 1928. Serial No. 280,700.

The housing 11 preferably comprises a bottom plate 18 consisting of a substantially clrcularpiece of sheet metal which may be provided with straight sides at 19. The bottom plate is preferably provided with a pair of relatively large downwardly projecting reinforcing corrugations 20 extending transversely across the bottom plate, substantially parallel to the sides 19 and with elongated apertures 21 adjacent each of the sides 19.

Mounted upon the bottom plate 18 is a housing or guide member 22 which may consist of a piece of sheet metal-provided with the projecting flanges 23 and 24 located on opposite sides thereof. The outline of the housing member 22 when installed conforms substantially to that of the bottom late 18 and the housing member is prefera ly provided with a pair of upwardly projecting relatively small corrugations 25 extending transversely to the housing member from the flange 24 on one side to the same flange on the other side of the housing member.

The flanges 24 on the housing member are bent downward at substantially right angles to the-housing member and cut away as at 26 to form shoulders and a narrow portion 27 capable of being received within the elongated aperture 21 of the bottom plate and the housing is assembled with the bottom plate by passing the flange 27 through said aperture and bending over the end 28 of said flange, thereby securing the bottom plate between the shoulders 26 and the end 28 of the flange without the use of rivets.

The housing member 22 is also cut away as at 29 upon the'othertwo sides, thereby forming the flanges 23 which may be upwardly turned as at 30 and bent over as at 31, thereby forming guides for a plurality of flukes tobe carried above the housing member 22. The cut away portions at 29 provide space for the links 17 which connect with the lower flukes13 and 15. The bottom plate 18 and housing 22 are both provided with centrally located registering apertures 32 and 33 adapted to receive the lower end of a guy rod 34 Which may be threaded as at 35. 7

Referring to Fig. 3, I have here illustrated the flukes of my sliding anchor in expanded relation, and it will be observed that the.

fiukes each having straight comprise plates of sheet metal sides 36 and 37 and substantially circularends 38 and 39. The ends of the fiukes and the corresponding sides of the bottom plate are preferably made circular in order to correspond to the usual shape of the hole dug, but it will be obvious "that these parts may be constructed of other shapes. The fiukes 12 to 15 inclusive, areeach pro vided with a slot .40 extending from one of the circular ends 39 inward, substantially parallel to the sides 36 and 37, the slot 40 being of sufficient width to embrace the guy rod 34 and extending to a point past the center of the fluke terminating in a circular end 41.

The slot 40 divides the fluke into two legs 42 and 43 extending on each side of the guy rod 34, and each of the fiukes is provided with an offset 44, best shown in Fig. 2, in such manner that the fiukes may becrossed at the slots 40, one leg of each fluke extending above the other leg' of the fluke associated therewith.

Thus it will be observed that the leg 43 of the fluke 12 lies above the le 45 of the fluke 14', while the leg 42 of the uke 12 lies below the leg 46 of the fluke 14. Each of the fiukes 12 to 15 is providedwith a pair of longitudinally extending reinforcing corrugations 47 and 48, the corrugation which lies adjacent the housing 22 being of a complementary size to the corrugations 25 formed in the housing. Thus the corrugations 47 which are adapted to receive the corrugations 25 are su'fiiciently larger than the corrugations 25 to nest therewith, while the corrugations 48 are still larger in size, being adapted to nest with the corrugations 47 upon the opposite fluke.

The fiukes 12 and 14 are crossed .at the. slots 40, the offsets 44 enabling these members to nest with each other as shown in Fig. 2, after which the fiukes may be slidably received between the housing member. 22 and the inwardly extending flanges 31 which form guides for said fiukes.

The flukes 130and 15 are substantially similar in size and shape, being provided with downwardly extending corrugations 49 and 50 of suflicientsize to nest with each other. The fiukes 13 andv 15 are assembled in a similar manner with one legof each fluke above a corresponding leg on the other fluke, and slidably mounted between the housing- 22 and the bottom plate 18. Referring to 6, I have here illustrated my improved crosshead which may comprise a cast metal member havingsa central bore 51 adapted to receive the guy rod 34 and a substantially rectangular upper face 52. The upper face 52 is provided with four'radially extending slots 53 of substantially rectangular cross section and sufficient depth and width to receive the flanges 54 upon a securing member indicated in its entirety at 55. The crosshead is also provided with slots 56 communicating with the slots 53 and located in each of the four sides of the crosshead and adapted to receive the flanges 57 of the securing member 55. i

The body of the crosshead may be of sub stantial thickness in order that the bore 51 may provide a guide for the guy rod 34 and each of the corners 58 of the crosshead may be provided with a pair of downwardly extending lugs 59, one located on each side of the slot 56; The lugs 59 are adapted to engage outside the portions 60-of the flanges 61 on the securing member 55' thereby reinforcing this member when in assembled relation.

Iidesire it to be understood that many modifications may be made in my crosshead without departing from the spirit of the invention, andin Fig. 8 I have illustrated a modified form in which elongated apertures 62 have been used instead of the slots 56.

This modified form of crosshead is of substantially the-same shape as shown in'Fig. 6 with the exception that the corner pieces 58 have been joined by side portions 63 enclosing the slots 56, and it will be obvious that before the securing member 55 can be secured to such a crosshead, the flanges 61 must be bent to extend verticallyfrom the body 64 of the securing member. In the present embodiment also the lugs 59 are elongated, extending transversely in front of the aperture 62 and outside of the flange 61 on the securing member.

The securing member 55 comprises a piece of sheet metal of substantially cruciform shape, having a substantially round central body 64 provided with a circular aperture 65 which is adapted to register with the bore 51 of the crosshead. The arms 61v of the securing member 55 are bent up at right angles to the body and are reduced in Width as at 66, forming narrow portions 54 and 57 adapted to be received in the slots 53 and 56 respectively.

The curved portions 67 of the arms are adapted to form a pivotal connection between the links 17 and the crosshead 16 and the upper portions 54 of the arms may be bent over 'Wlthlll the slots 53 and downward into the bore 51 as at 68 to securely clamp the securing member upon the crosshead. When this has been done, it will be observed that the portion 60 of the'arm is also secured behind the lugs 59 of the crosshead, thereby regitudina'lly extending pressed ribs 72 adapted to reinforce the same and are of sufficient length so that the fiukes connected thereby to the crosshead may be extended to substantially the position shown in Fig. 4 with a portion of the flukes still overlapping and retaining the same in proper position. v

* The clips 71 comprise substantially U- shaped strips of sheet metal having narrow ends 72 adapted to be received in slots 73 in the flukes, the ends 74: being bent over to clamp the flukes between said end and the shoulder formed in the edge of the clip.

It will thus be observed that the flukes are pivotally secured to the links and the links to the crosshead by sheet metal members, thereby eliminating the usual rivets which do not provide suflicient strength for the present purpose.

My expanding anchor is also preferably provided with means for positioning the anchor on the guy rod 3 1 comprising a pair of sheet metal members 75 carried by the bottom plate 18 adjacent the aperture 33. The sheet metal members 75 are provided with attaching flanges 76 preferably spot welded to the bottom plate, with offset flanges 77 and with flanges 78 substantially parallel to the bottom plate 18. The flanges 7 8 may be provided with semi-circular slots 79'embracing the guy rod 34.

It, will thus be observed that the oflset flanges 7 7 are adapted to prevent the nut 80 from turning, and if it is desired to abandon the anchor, the guy rod 34 may be unscrewed therefrom, although theanchor may be embedded in the earth. It is also possible to abandon the entire anchor and guy rod by driving the guy rod into the earth by means of a sledge or other device in which casethe flanges 78 will be bent downward by the nut 80, releasing the nut and permitting the-guy rod to be buried in the earth. The flanges 7 8 also provide means for positioning the anchor on the guy rod 34 during its insertion into the hole, and the anchor will not be slid upward on the guy rod by engagement with I that I have provided an cial structure in which the flukes are slidably.

the sides of the hole in the earth.

The operation of my anchor is substantially the same as that described in the patent referred to above, but it will be observed improved commerhoused in such manner that the lower flukes do not come into directengagement with the earth beneath the anchor. The housing of the flukes is of material advantage in the expansion of the flukes, and the bottom plate also provides means for the support of the releasing devicefor the guy rod 34.

My improved commercial form-is also provided with a novel crosshead and securing member by means of which the anchor may be assembled withoutthe use of rivets or other similar fastening means.

lVhile I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of con-' struction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changes Within the scope of the appended claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, wnat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In an expanding anchor, the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having upwardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two other opposite-sides, and a bottom plate secured to said latter flanges. I a

2. In an expanding anchor; the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having upwardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two other opposite sides, and a .bottom plate secured to said latter-flanges, said bottom plate being provided with elongated apertures, said first mentioned plate having flanges through said apertures to secure the plates together. 3. In an expanding anchor, the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having up-' wardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two to said latter flanges, a plurality of transversely movable flukes slidably mounted in said housing, a crosshead, links connecting 4 said flukes and crosshead, and a plate having a plurality of arms passing through said links and clamped on said crosshead.

5. In an expanding anchor, the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having upwardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two other opposite sides, a bottom plate secured to said latter flanges, a plurality of transversely movable flukes slidably mounted in said housing, a cr'osshead, links connecting said flukes and crosshead, and a plate having a plurality of arms passing through 5 said links and clamped on said crosshead,

said crosshead having a bore and grooves for receiving said arms.

6. In an expanding anchor, the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having upwardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two 0 other opposite sides, a bottom plate secured to said latter flanges; a plurality of trans versely movable flukes slidably mounted in said housing, a crosshead, links connecting said flukes and crosshead, and a plate having a plurality of arms passing through said links and clampedon said crosshead, said 'ceiving said arms,

cross head ha'ving'a bore and grooves for reand said arms passing through apertures in said crosshead.

In an expanding anchor, the combination of a supporting housing with a plurality of flukes slidably mounted therein for sliding movement transversely to each other, said housing comprising a metal plate having upwardly turned flanges upon two opposite sides and downwardly turned flanges on two other opposite sides, a bottom plate secured to said latter flanges, a plurality of transversely movable flukes slidably mounted in said housing. said flukes and bottom plate being provided with complementary corrugations, and means carried by said bottom plate 'for releasably engaging a nut.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this l9 day of May, 1928.

ALBERT B. CHANCE. 

